And how it felt the first time to read (and re-read, a couple times, alternately flipping from the story to the inside blurbs to the back cover’s author pic and back, before going on, trying to make sense) that opening scene from Infinite Jest, my intro to Wallace.

A book which, for a while, I re-read about once every other year. Losing myself. Again. With characterspeople like Pemulis and that sideways, ‘drine-fueled glance; Lenz with those rats; Poor Tony. Big Don Gately. Picking up on stuff I’d missed before.

And then which book I also raved frothingly about to anybody who’d listen. Friends, family. People who LOVE to read! I’d corner them: Read this. And, yet, to this day, I only know of one person whom I recommended/gave the book to who ever actually finished it. The rest couldn’t hack it or just didn’t get it and gave up.

On some of the most spectacular writing. Ever.

Anyhow, all that came flooding back on Saturday, at Due Amici, with ALT’s performance. And though I was lathered up pretty good with sunblock because of the skin thing — and, yes, some did get in my eye, thank you — I’ll confess that there were a couple real tears interspersed in there, somewhere.

And, in my more self-directed moments, I like to think the performance was in some way for/because of me.

Day 2 of forced digital nomadism due to the remnants of Hurricane Ike.

Hasn’t been that bad, really — our house isn’t damaged, we can still shower, the cars have gas, etc.

Jamo doesn’t have school…

Probably about .005% of what the folks down in Galveston and the Texas coast are experiencing.

A minor inconvenience, at worst.

Plus, about a month back I was having thoughts like this:

Which I did, like, the very next day:

So while neither my office nor the JDA office has power or phone service or Internet access, I’m holed up at the Cup O’ Joe in the Short North (pretty much all of which neighborhood has power, by the way) with full access to pretty much everything work-related.

And I’ll be damned if the tunes aren’t consistently good here.

If you’re a client, you already know how to get in touch.

If you want to be a client, you probably already know, too.

In case not:

Cell: 614.598.1729

Mobile email: ryan@areyoubrilliant.com

Gtalk: ryan@areyoubrilliant.com

Twitter: @slimgoodies

I’ll be in and out of meetings all day, so if you don’t get me, leave a message and I’ll get right back…